Keep it save – Keep it fun
Medical facilities in East Africa are limited. This is especially true for some of the remote places where your safari may take you. In case of a serious medical emergency, getting to the nearest full-service hospital may mean a long ground transfer over poor roads. Fortunately, Kara-Tunga Tours has an agreement with AMREF to provide an inexpensive Tourist Air Evacuation Scheme for transport from any Kara-Tunga Tours destination to a full-service airport in Nairobi, Kenya. For registered clients, AMREF Flying Doctors will respond swiftly and without delay in the event of an incident and coordinate directly with the client’s overseas insurance company (though it is not necessary to have such insurance to qualify for the scheme).
In addition to the possibility of the AMREF Medical Evacuation Scheme, Kara-Tunga Tours also acknowledge the importance of first aid and therefore we partnered with the Uganda Red Cross Society. Our staff is trained and certified volunteers and able to provide First Aid during activities, at our accommodation facilities and within the community. The Uganda Red Cross also advices on safety guidelines and emergency evacuation planning.
How to Sign Up for the Scheme
Step 1: Once you’ve chosen your preferred Kara-Tunga Tour, be sure to click the box for the “Flying Doctor Scheme” as you fill out the online tour booking form. The insurance is available at $30,- pp monthly.
Step 2: When confirming the tour and payment details with Kara-Tunga Tours, have ready your international health/travel insurance policy information (company name/country, policy number).
Step 3: Enjoy your trip knowing that you will have access to an air ambulance in case of serious illness or injury.
Terms & Conditions
AMREF Flying Doctors will make every effort to accommodate the Clients’ requirements for patient evacuation. However, AMREF Flying Doctors retains the right to use its judgment in all cases particularly in circumstances involving the safety of people and aircraft. In extreme medical emergency situations AMREF Flying Doctors will use its best endeavors to evacuate the patient(s) subject always to the pilot’s discretion. The final decision to evacuate rests with AMREF Flying Doctors. Any reasons for rejection of a request for evacuations will be given within a reasonable time.
Aero medical evacuations shall be subject to clearances from the relevant air control authorities and to there being a usable airstrip near to the patient’s location.
AMREF Flying Doctors reserve the right to direct you to consult with a Doctor to assess your medical needs before an evacuation is instigated.
Fraud, whether attempted or actual, will be treated very seriously. Any detected fraud will render the subscriber liable to pay in full any costs incurred by AMREF Flying Doctors, who reserve the right to take legal action if necessary.
This subscription allows up to two air evacuations annually in case of a medical emergency. After two air evacuations have been utilised subscribers will need to renew their subscription to be eligible for any further air evacuation.
Only registered clients are covered by this scheme. Subscription is not transferrable between people. Identification (passport or similar) will be required to confirm subscription status before the evacuation takes place.
South Sudan: For the purposes of this agreement, the areas covered within South Sudan are the three regions of the Sudan: Bahr el Ghazal, Equatoria, and Greater Upper Nile and are further broken down to Bahr el Ghazal (Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Western Bahr el Ghazal, Lakes, Warrap), Equatoria (including Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria including Juba, Eastern Equatoria), Greater Upper Nile (Jonglei, Unity, Upper Nile)
AMREF Flying Doctors will not pay for expenses arising from or authorise a free evacuation when requested in relation to any of the following:
- Out of hospital treatment – any out of hospital treatment or an evacuation that is requested for mild lesions, simple injuries like sprains or simple fractures and mild illnesses, which are able to be treated locally.
- Acute illness or injury at the time of enrolment – any evacuation for an acute illness or injury that a subscriber was being treated for at the time of or immediately prior to enrolment.
- Inpatient medical cost – any inpatient medical costs.
- Professional sports and willful exposure to needless danger – an evacuation of a subscriber who is engaged in any professional activity, or any sport or activity reasonably considered by us at our discretion, as being of a dangerous nature without limiting the generality thereof including but not limited to parachuting, gliding, paragliding, parascending, whitewater rafting, canoeing, underwater diving involving the use of any artificial apparatus, unless the subscriber holds an open water diving with a certified instructor, both no deeper than 30 meters below the surface, hand gliding, or bungee jumping, or any occupation reasonably considered by us, at our discretion, as being of a dangerous nature, without limiting the generality thereof, including, but not limited to mining, construction and security unless previously disclosed and accepted by AMREF.
- War, political violence, civil unrest – an evacuation for injuries sustained as a result of war, political violence or civil unrest howsoever caused.
- Search & Rescue – search/rescue operations if a subscriber is lost in a remote area.
- Self-inflicted injuries and influence of alcohol and/or drugs – an evacuation for self-inflicted injuries. We do not pay for an evacuation for any illness or injuries sustained whilst a subscriber is under the influence of alcohol and /or drugs.
- Criminal activity – any evacuation arising from or related to injuries sustained whilst engaging in a criminal or unlawful act.
- Psychiatric, psycho – geriatric or mental illnesses or conditions – the evacuation where the subscribers primary admitting diagnosis is an inpatient psychiatric disorder.
- Contamination – the evacuation for any conditions arising directly or indirectly from chemical or biological contamination, however caused or from contamination caused from nuclear fission, ionizing radiation or by radioactivity from nuclear fuel or waste
- Organ transplant lists – any evacuation of a subscriber who is on an organ transplant list prior to enrolment
Outside of this scheme it may be possible to offer evacuations against personal payment by the client.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I contact Amref in case of an emergency?
The 24 Hour Control Centre can be reached on any of the following telephone numbers:
Fixed Lines
+254-20-699-2299
+254-20-699-2000
+254-20-600-0090
Mobile
+254-733-639-088
+254-722-314-239
+254-736-359-362
Or by email:
emergency@flydoc.org
How long does it take for AMREF Flying Doctors to mobilise an Air Ambulance?
Upon receiving a call for assistance the AMREF staff will immediately start to work on the case, providing first aid medical advice or giving directions to the closest medical facility where applicable, collect information about the patient’s condition, the location, details of the nearest airstrip and validity of the insurance cover, etc. In cases of cross-border operations, flight clearances will also be obtained.
While all this is going on, the caller will be kept updated and informed of the aircraft’s arrival time as soon as possible. The actual mobilisation of the aircraft and crew can be as fast as 20 minutes from the time of call. However, as outlined above, certain logistical and aviation requirements that are necessary to provide a successful evacuation flight can take additional time.
The flight time from Nairobi to Bwindi Forest, Uganda, for example, varies between 4 and 5 hours.
To which hospital will the patient be transferred?
AMREF transfers the patients to the hospital of their choice in Nairobi. The hospitals of preference are Nairobi Hospital and Agha Khan Hospital, both of which are reputable facilities.
I already have travel insurance. Why do I need to register with AMREF Flying Doctors?
If you or someone in your group suddenly get sick or is involved in a road traffic accident, it can take hours of waiting while the insurance company (probably based on another continent) is assessing the case. Their unfamiliarity with the local environment and the medical facilities makes it difficult and time consuming for an overseas insurance to take quick decision. By the time the insurance company contacts AMREF, the patient’s condition may have deteriorated or it may be too late to reach the patient before nightfall.
If you are signed up for the Tourist Evacuation Scheme and an accident unfortunately occurs, AMREF will have a doctor, nurse and fully-equipped aircraft en route to pick up the patient with the precision and quick response time that makes them a world-class Air Ambulance Service. It is likely that those signed up to the Scheme will already be safely under the care of professionals whilst those without it may still be waiting on hold for precious minutes to get a response from the international insurance company.
